RENDERING TO GOD HIS DUE

 A REFLECTION FOR THE 12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

What is it that makes us want to please God above all things?  And what can we do to fulfill this innate desire?  Once we know God exists and we begin to have some understanding of who he is and what he wants from us, the virtue of Religion encourages us to perform acts calculated to render the honor and glory that are due to God alone.  This virtue of Religion is what drives us to give honor to God and to promote that honor in others.  By this virtue we are motivated to pray, to sacrifice, to adorn our chapel and decorate the altar, to sing in the choir, serve at Mass, and do all the other things whose primary function is to give honor to the Supreme Being.

These acts alone, while of great value to our spiritual life, are not, however, enough of themselves.  We are creatures living in a material world, amidst a multitude of other human beings, each with his own cares and needs.  Our Lord reminded us of this when he told us that the Second Commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves is like unto the First, which is to love God above all things.  “The virtue of Religion can and must direct to the glory of God all the works and exercises of a Christian life, that it may become a perpetual divine service” (Fr. Nicholas Gihr on the Virtue of Religion).  In other words, all our actions must have as their objective the glory of God.  As St. Paul puts it in his Epistle to the Corinthians, “Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever else ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

This brings us to the importance of making a good Morning Offering daily upon waking up.  With a prayer such as the one following, we offer up to God everything we do, no matter how banal or insignificant, and thus make each action meritorious and pleasing to our Creator.  The words of our prayer may vary, but the basic sentiment should be as follows: “O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer thee my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of thy divine Heart, and for the suffering souls in Purgatory.”  You can add to these intentions the reparation for your sins, the increase of a particular virtue, your relatives and friends, the Church, the nation, or any other intention close to your heart.  What’s important is the idea of elevating the mundane tasks of your daily life to becoming a source of grace and goodness, even when you’re not thinking about them specifically.  The day is thus sanctified without any further effort on your part and abundant are the graces and mercies you will receive from this simple morning prayer that takes only a few seconds to say.

Naturally though, we are called upon to practice other virtues and perform deliberate acts that are morally pleasing to God.  Other than the ones directed specifically to God, such as adoration, thanksgiving, supplication and repentance, we should also strive to pray and practice acts of Faith, Hope and Charity.  Fr. Nicholas Gihr explains this as follows: [These three virtues] may be elicited with the intention of acknowledging the divine truth, fidelity, and goodness, and God is thereby greatly honored and glorified.  In believing, hoping, and loving, we give ourselves to God with all the powers of our soul, we lean upon God and rest in God as our last end; in other words, we render to the divine perfections and majesty due homage and submission.  The three divine virtues also condition the development and completion of the Christian life, which is founded on faith, nourished by hope, and animated by charity.  Faith enlightens the understanding with celestial light, hope endows the soul with supernatural strength, and love inflames the heart with divine fire.  Thus these three virtues enable us by a new and holy life to announce to men the glorious prerogatives and perfections of God, that they may see our works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.  They give rise to the virtue of religion, and excite us to glorify God through works of piety, mercy and penance.”

GLORIOUS AND POWERFUL GOD

 A HYMN FOR THE 11TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Glorious and Powerful God,

We understand thy dwelling is on high

Above the starry sky.

Thou dwellest not in stone temples made with hand;

But in the flesh hearts of the sons of men

To dwell is thy delight,

Near hand, though out of sight.

 

We give of thine own hand,

Thy acceptation is very life and blood,

To all actions good.

Whenever here or hence our supplication,

From pure and with unfeigned hearts,

To thee ascends, be present with thy grace,

Shew us thy loving face.

 

O down on us full showers of mercy send;

Let thy love’s burning beams

Dry up all our sin’s streams.

Arise, O Lord,

And come into thy rest.

Both now and evermore Thy name be blest,

Founder

And foundation

Of endless habitation.

Amen.

DEAF AND DUMB

 A REFLECTION FOR THE 11TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

We can be deaf and we can be dumb in two very different ways.  The first type of deafness and dumbness is purely medical, where we have a physical disability that prevents us from hearing sounds around us or expressing ourselves through speech.  It was such a physical disability that our Lord heals in today’s Gospel. 

But there is a second kind of deafness, one that implies a moral choice that is willful, a deliberate refusal to hear or pay attention to something that we don’t like.  This could be morally virtuous or sinful depending on what we’re listening to.  Sometimes it is a good idea to “turn a deaf ear” to things that are offensive or might lead us into temptation.  At other times though, it might be a bad idea to refuse to listen to certain things.  It could be an act of charity to listen to someone’s suggestions or opposing points of view for example.  Or it might be beneficial to us to listen to the complaints or criticism of others, even if it makes us feel uncomfortable.  Certainly, we should never refuse to listen to things that would elevate us spiritually as such behavior would be offensive to God and thus, in most cases, sinful.

Deciding on whether to speak or not requires a similar moral judgment, one that should be based on prudence, charity and fear of the Lord.  Never are those virtues more needed, and never is our decision more difficult, than when we find ourselves in a position where those around us are behaving badly or speaking sinfully.  Should we just walk away, should we intervene and openly criticize their immoral conduct, or are we tempted to simply ignore it and participate?  Individual circumstances call for a specific judgment call on our part, but there are some general guidelines we may find helpful. 

First of all, we must never simply join in the sinful conversation or behavior as though we approve it.  To do so would be participating in the sins of others.  However, we are naturally hesitant to coldly “spoil the atmosphere” by wagging our finger in disapproval, and indeed, this is very rarely effective.  So what’s left?  Walking away is always an option, although it doesn’t mean we have to stamp away in a huff.  But while leaving the room is a possibility, it does nothing to stop the bad behavior, and thus is not really in the best interests of the parties concerned.  Better still is to subtly change the subject of conversation, or distract the offenders with a more innocent pastime.  We should also try to find an opportunity at some later time to speak one-on-one with those with whom we are most friendly, and point out to them privately and charitably, when they are more receptive, the reasons why we found their conversation distasteful and that it would be beneficial to themselves to behave more honorably in future.

Guided at all times by charity and a zeal for the souls of our neighbor, we will gain experience in knowing when to listen and when not to, when to speak and when to keep our mouths shut.  Our hearing and our speech will thus be based on God’s will and not merely our own often misguided emotions, and we will avoid the pitfalls of being deaf and mute when we should listen to our neighbor and speak to him with true charity.